


Your Laugh Takes My Breath Away

by Pandaloo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Confessions, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hunk's trans just fyi and he's had his top surgery, I'll hit that at some point i haven't gotten that far yet bare with me, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sickfic, They both gay messes lets be real, Trans Male Character, character injury, for one chapter he isn't sick after that, only a lil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 16:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13979304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandaloo/pseuds/Pandaloo
Summary: Five times Keith makes Hunk laugh, and the one time Hunk makes Keith laugh





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna make this all one fic but I'd rather put out what I've written so far then leave it to die in my folder never to be seen again, so enjoy! updates will be.... whenever I have the motivation/inspiration/time to work on it

Keith is growling under his breath as his fingers tap erratically at the game controller tightly gripped in his sweaty palms. The rapid clicking blending in with the intense battle music and dramatic grunts coming from the screen projecting the dark reds of the boss he’s currently trying to beat, working up a light sweat from the stress of being watched. 

Hunk, Lance and Pidge sit behind him on big fluffy pillows, in various states of comfort, Hunk being the sturdy wall, leaning back on one hand as Lance leans heavily against his right side while Pidge is sprawled out on their back with their head pillowed on Hunk’s left thigh. Hunk’s fingers idly twist a lock of Pidge’s soft hair between his fingers as he anxiously continues to watch his friend become increasingly more agitated and frantic as he tries to move the character here and there without getting hit. 

Lance’s snickering makes his shoulder shake lightly so Hunk nudges him distractedly, not taking his eyes off Keith. 

Somehow Lance had nagged Keith into proving that he could beat the last level on the game he and Pidge had picked up from that weird space shopping centre. Saying something about Keith proving he was, in fact, the best at everything or something else equally unnecessary and provocative just to get a rise out of him. Prodding at the red paladin until Keith had finally snapped and demanded he lead the way to the game room, glaring at the smug grin that had split across Lance’s face. 

Hunk knows Lance forced Keith to do this because Lance himself had been struggling to beat the last boss for the past four days, shouting that the game was rigged and his losses obviously had nothing to do with Lance’s skill at all. 

The blue paladin had dragged Pidge into watching, to “have more witnesses” to experience Keith’s inevitable failure. She’d tried to talk her way out of it, but Lance had only picked her up and thrown her over his broad shoulder, Pidge’s tiny fingers pinching anywhere she could reach in an attempt to get him to drop her but Lance had only jostled her roughly and continuing on. 

So here they are, with held breathes they continue to watch Keith slowly chip away at the boss’ health bar. Keith’s fingers still pressing quickly at buttons, seemingly at random, he doesn’t look like he’s breathing either, which gives Hunk the urge to lean over and poke him to remind him that oxygen is important but he refrains, unwilling to risk distracting Keith in any way. 

Hunk lightly slaps at Lance when he blithely hums out, “Any day now, he’ll give up any day now and I will happily be able to reveal that Mister Good at Everything was actually Mister Only Good at Some Things, this entire time.” Lance yelps and turns to pout at Hunk, blinking innocently when Hunk only shakes his head at him. 

Keith’s shoulders had tightened further at the sound of Lance’s voice, the clicking of the buttons becoming somehow even more frantic to the point Hunk was worried his thumb would punch a hole through the controller. “I’m not at all sorry to say this Lance but—“ Keith grunts triumphantly as a loud artificial bloodcurdling scream suddenly fills the room along with the sound of upbeat victory music, “It seems that my apparent title of Mister Good at Everything, will be staying firmly in place.” He turns around to smirk crookedly at his fellow paladin with a raised brow, his face is sweaty and flushed from exertion and his dark eyes flash smugly. 

Lance is already groaning loudly and pushing himself up onto his feet. Hunk’s eyes widen in shock when he see’s Lance picking the pillow he’d been sitting on up along the way before sharply tossing it at Keith who smoothly catches it and flings it roughly back at Lance. 

Lance makes an undignified squeak as the pillow slams solidly into his face, glaring down at Keith when the soft projectile falls away. Keith is theatrically turning his head all about, as if looking for something before turning back to Lance with wide eyes, face a mask of innocence, “Woah that came out of nowhere! Better keep you’re guard up Lance, never know when those mysterious flying pillows will attack you next,” He grins, shoulders trembling with barely contained laughter. “Those things could really do some damage.”

The room is completely silent for a solid minute before a loud ugly snort erupts from Hunk, his hands flying up and slapping over his face as laughter pours out of him in waves, ears turning bright pink. He’s laughing so hard he doesn’t notice Lance huffing and crossing his arms while Pidge giggles and claps her hands. He also doesn’t notice Keith, whose shocked eyes are watching Hunk snort and giggle into his palms, his face slowly gaining a scarlet tint before he looks down at his hands with a happy grin. 

Tears threaten to fall from Hunk’s tightly shut eyes so he shakily wipes under them as his giggles slow, and letting out one last snort before he opens his eyes with a grin and his gaze lands on the top of Keith’s messy head, still looking down at his interlocked fingers. 

After he and Pidge had settled, the four of them sat around and chat idly for about an hour before Lance announces he’s going to bed, ruffling Pidge’s hair and patting Hunk’s shoulder as he passes to the door. Pidge jumps up to swat at him as she follows him out, explaining that she was going to go work on some modifications in Green quickly before the door slides shut behind her, leaving the two remaining occupants of the room to sit in comfortable silence. 

Hunk jumps slightly at the quiet cough Keith makes, turning to see him already looking at Hunk, eyes thoughtful. A soft smile graces Keith’s face before he speaks lightly, “So… you’re a snorter, huh?” he raises his eyebrows and his smile grows when Hunk only blushes in response, his hand lifting to scratch at the back of his neck. Usually when people pointed out Hunk’s unfortunate laughter he’ll find he closes himself off self-consciously, but the easy way Keith asks and the sincere little grin he wears makes it easy for Hunk to just shrug and smile back. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of embarrassing! It’s not even the quiet kind of snorts you know? I can get really loud and it tends to attract unwanted attention so I try not to let it happen too often…” Hunk trails off slowly, looking down at his fingers as they play with his fingerless gloves, “Everyone but my Moms, Lance and Pidge seemed to find it bothersome.”

“Well I think that’s bullshit.” Keith grumbles as he crossing his arms and leans further back against the pillow he’d placed behind himself. Hunk hums in question, and Keith clears his throat and turns his head off to the side, avoiding eye contact. “I- I like your laugh, I think it’s nice.” Keith says quietly, face heating but returning his gaze back to Hunk’s with determination. Hunk’s breath stutters to a stop in surprise, he can’t bring himself to avert his eyes even if he wanted to. 

Hunk finds himself giggling quietly under his breath, slightly overwhelmed with Keith’s eyes still locked persistently on his, Keith’s words running through his head on repeat. He finally moves his gaze from Keith’s and looks at the ruffled hair hanging softly across his forehead, Hunk’s fingers twitch with the urge to push it back so that the pale skin hidden underneath is free.

With a quick shake of his head as if to rid himself of those embarrassing urges, Hunk smiles shyly at Keith. “Well… Thank you? I guess?” Hunk chuckles, Keith nods quickly before he smoothly gets to his feet and reaches a hand down for Hunk, who gladly takes it and lets out a surprised gasp when Keith pulls him up with little effort. Their hands are warm where they’re clasped together; Hunk can only feel the calloused skin of Keith’s thumb where their exposed fingers brush, it’s strangely grounding.

Keith gently loosens his grip before quickly moving past him to head for the door, but Hunk catches the red flush of his ears as he turns to follow the shorter boy out of the room. 

They walk together towards their rooms in companionable silence, their shoulders bumping every so often. Hunk hums a random tune under his breath as he strolls beside Keith who gives him a curious glance before looking back towards the hallway. 

It feels nice, spending some quiet time with Keith, something Hunk wishes they did more often because when Keith isn’t tight lipped and broody, he’s actually a really cool dude, competitive and sarcastic but also surprisingly sweet. Hunk’s worries how rare it is to see Keith unstressed and relaxed, his smiles rarely have that genuine quirk to it, never quite reaches his eyes. The times Hunk has seen Keith’s genuine happy smile always seem to take his breath away, heats up his cheeks and turns his brain all fuzzy, but they never seem to last more than a quick moment. 

Hunk slows to a stop when he comes upon his door, turning curiously to Keith, watching the flash of confusion cross his face before realisation flushes his cheeks a vibrant red. Keith’s door is before Hunk’s, next to Lance’s two doors before the one they’re both currently standing in front of. 

Hunk can’t keep the goofy grin off his face when Keith shuffles his feet and awkwardly catches his eye. Nodding his head stiffly, Keith bids him a quiet goodnight, spinning on his heel and speed walking back towards his room, this small ponytail making it easy for Hunk to see the flush run down the back of his neck. Leaving Hunk to shyly rub his cheek and giggle softly to himself before unlocking his door and all but collapsing on his bed.

He lays awake for what feels like hours, his heart giddily dancing in his chest before exhaustion finally forces it to settle into a slower thump and he drifts off into a content sleep, still in his casual clothes that he’ll regret not changing out of in the morning. 

He can’t find it within himself to care too much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know how sickness works leave me be i rarely get sick

A few weeks later Hunk lays miserably still, tucked tightly under several layers of thick blankets shivering heavily from the inescapable chills that run up and down his body, nose runny, head throbbing and throat rough like sandpaper. Cold sweat collects at his brow and lip, hair greasy and messy from not having the energy to shower, splayed out across his sweat damp pillow.

He feels fucking nasty. 

Hunk had been in denial for the first day and a half of his illnesses arrival, hesitant to miss anything important and unwilling to be a burden, even though doing so was actually making him a burden. Almost immediately his fellow paladins had recognised Hunk’s symptoms and had spent any spare moment firmly telling him to lay the fuck down and take care of himself, but much to their frustration he’d refused, insisting he was a fine pineapple.   
He finally agreed to actually try and take care of himself when he’d gotten suddenly racked with heaving coughs, painfully being dragged out of his irritaed throat before apparently fainting. That part is a bit fuzzy to Hunk, considering for him one moment he was coughing up what felt like his entire lung, and the next he woke up piled under an excessive amount of blankets. There had been a weight dipping the bed next to him, a gentle brush pushing his damp fringe from his sweaty forehead. He’d tried to open his eyes to see who it was, only catching a wobbly silhouette of a person for a quick moment before he’d promptly passed out again.

Presently though, Hunk is now awake, grumpy and really miserable, sniffling every couple of seconds and coughing as softly as he could into his pillowcase in hopes to not aggravate his screaming head. 

There is a soft knock at his door and Hunk can only whimper at it in return, whether the person on the other side heard him or not, they open the door and made their way in. Hunk opens his aching eyes just as Keith gently lowers himself to the bed beside him, holding a tray with numerous items evenly spread on it. He weakly tugs the blankets away from his face to get a better view of his visitor who is now looking down at him with a softly concerned look, brow lightly creased and a small frown pulling at his lips. Hunk tries his best to smile at him in greeting, but it comes out more of a grimace, causing Keith’s frown to deepen before he reaches out and places a gloveless palm to Hunk’s burning forehead. The frown deepens further.

“You’re temperature hasn’t gotten any better, that’s a bad thing right?” Keith asks quietly, voice barely avoiding a frustrated lilt. Hunk weakly shakes his head and replies with a gravelly voice, “Its fine Keith. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for body temperature to return to normal.”

Keith only gives him an unsatisfied hum in return and turns back to the tray he’d placed beside him, picking up a cup filled with what Hunk assumed was water. He guessed right, with the help of Keith’s steady hand Hunk slowly sipped as much water as he could handle, so about half of the cup before leaning back again, unable to keep himself upright much longer. Keith places the half full cup on the table like surface by his bed, close enough for Hunk himself to reach if needed. 

Hunk watches curiously as Keith moves the tray to the floor before turning and gently folding the layered blankets back and pulling Hunk up into a sitting position slowly, careful not to move him around too suddenly. Keith adjusts the pillows against the wall and smacks them a couple of times before leaning Hunk back against them once he was satisfied. Now upright, he can have the tray sit comfortably on his lap and can now carefully and slowly slurp at the purple slush in a smallish bowl placed in the atop the tray. 

Keith vanishes into Hunk’s personal bathroom for a moment or two before coming back with a damp cloth he must have brought in with him, dripping water on the floor but paying no mind to it as he retakes seat at the edge of the bed again. 

Hunk doesn’t look at him when he gets close to dab at his sweaty skin, touch soft and soothing. “You’re good at this.” Hunk mumbles dazedly, smiling weakly at Keith who avoids his eyes, keeping them focused on the cloth in his hands. Keith scowls lightly before grumbling, “Lance told me what to do. Gave me a list of things that he said would help you, before he was sent on a mission with Pidge. He’s surprisingly good at explaining what to and what not to do,” Hunk blinks at him, continuing to slurp away at the fruity soup. “He threatened me bodily harm if I messed up, especially in this state so I guess he was just being thorough when giving me that list…” Keith trails off, finished with the damp cloth, he folds in and lightly throws it next to the cup of water. 

His voice is low and strained as if deep in thought, brows furrowing and mouth curved down unhappily. 

“He gave you a list?” Hunk asks, sounding amused despite the worried lift of his eyebrows, unsure what to do with the expression on his friends face. Keith nods absently, moving to take the tray away from Hunk and putting it on the floor when he sees the other lightly push the bowl away from himself. “Apparently he doesn’t trust me to take care of you. Why else would he make me a stupid list and then threaten me?” Keith sounds bitter, interlocking his fingers together tightly in his lap and scowling harshly down at them. 

Hunk shakes his head, wincing a little at the heavy throb it causes, the soup having helped his grogginess and empty stomach but little else, and places a probably clammy hand on top of Keith’s clenched fists, “I don’t think he doesn’t trust you, he’s just worried. Plus even if that was the case, it doesn’t matter-- because I trust you.” Keith turns his head to look at him, eyes wide with uncertainty, “In this particular situation that’s all that really matters, I think.” Hunk smiles softly at him, squeezing the hands under his once before taking them away, placing it neatly on top of his other one resting on his lap in a poor attempt to replicate the feeling of having Keith’s under his. 

“You’re doing a good job, Keith. Honestly I feel very well taken care of and I really appreciate it.” Hunk grins quickly, eyes locked on Keith’s that are shining with something Hunk can’t quite put his finger on. 

Keith blushes lightly but gives him a small smile in return, eyes going soft before shifting his gaze over to the tray at his feet. He reaches down to pick it up, standing and turning to face Hunk, hesitation clear in his posture, “I’m gonna go put these in the kitchen...Do you mind if I come back and just sit with you? Give you some company?” He asks stiffly, words coming out in sharp bursts and in varying levels of confidence. Keith’s cheeks are still a faint shade of pink and Hunk finds the image of him standing stone still, blushing and asking to spend time with him overwhelmingly endearing, making him take a deep breath before responding.

“You know what, I would actually love that… you might get sick though, and I’m already getting kind of drowsy again so I might fall asleep on you—“ Hunk huffs a frustrated breath, coming to a disappointing realisation, “Maybe you’re better off not hanging out with me, I won’t be much fun now that I think about it…” He’s slumped further into the pillows the longer he rambled, a pout unconsciously forming on his sick flushed face. Hunk’s resigning himself to be alone for the rest of the day when Keith lets out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head when Hunk’s eyes turn to him. He’s smirking slightly but his gaze is warm where it trails across Hunk’s face, “I won’t get sick, I’ll change into something more comfortable and bring my tablet so that if you do fall asleep I can read until you wake up again.”   
Keith’s face abruptly turns so red Hunk is almost convinced he can feel the heat from where he’s still comfortably leant, “Uh- Unless that’s totally weird and not at all something you want me to do, me just sitting there while you sleep. I understand if you’re totally not into that at all--“ Hunk’s face hurts smiling so wide, for so long and he can’t help but laugh at Keith’s uncharacteristically flustered state, his hands flapping around rapidly and his gaze shifty. 

Hunk’s wheezy laugh makes Keith stop, though he continues to avoid all eye contact and keeps his gaze trained on the wall beside Hunk’s head. “I think that would be nice, actually so you know,” Hunk sniffs (kinda gross, his nose is still drippy) and shrugs his shoulders in fake casualness, “I’m down if you’re down.” He looks down at his nails and picks at them for added affect, succeeding to make Keith smile and roll his eyes, his previous fluster seemingly forgotten just like Hunk had wanted. 

Keith sighs dramatically with a smirk and turns to leave, shooting Hunk a quick “Be right back” before the automatic door slides shut behind him. This leaves Hunk feeling surprisingly lost, feeling like a flower drooping as the sun leaves for the day, missing its sunshine. He shakes his head and laughs a little at himself, what a cheesy thing to think thank the lord no one can read his mind. Hunk jolts, eyes squinting at nothing, but what if someone can read his mind…   
The door to his room slides open again before he continues down that strange, terrifying, and frankly humiliating road of thought. When Hunk lifts his head to welcome Keith back, he freezes with eyes wide and mouth agape. 

Because Keith Kogane, is standing tall with obviously put-on confidence in the doorway to Hunk’s room, holding a tablet in one hand while the other firmly sits on his hip, wearing the red version of the silky pyjamas Lance and Hunk wear to bed with the matching red lion slippers. He looks… absolutely ridiculous, his hair is all over the place from changing and his face is red with embarrassment but his is expression is set in determination, eyes ablaze as if about to step into battle.

Hunk almost gives himself a concussion when he throws his head back and bursts into messy laughter, snort and all with hands firmly in place over his face again, muffling the raspy kind of gross still very sick sound beneath his damp palms. His mirth is causing him… so much pain but Hunk can’t seem to contain it; his eyes keep returning to Keith between his fingers and bubbling into another painful round of laughter. Unaware of the victorious giddy grin aimed at him, shining eyes watching his body shake and shudder as he loses himself. 

Keith’s retaken he’s seat at the edge of the bed again when Hunk finally calms down to the occasional giggle snort, only taking his hands away from his face when he’s absolutely sure he was done with his nonsense. His cheek ache from the large smile he seems to have tattooed to his face when he looks to Keith, his own smile small and private now, the look making Hunk’s smile shrink and turn shy. Keith’s sitting closer than he was the first two times, his hand millimetres away from where Hunk’s had dropped down to his side after his fit and his face is close enough to almost feel Keith’s slow healthy exhalations of breath against his heated face. He can see the faint freckles bundled together at the bridge of his button nose, the small beauty mark on the his right cheekbone which is still glowing happily, and his dark blue eyes seem to glitter with the flecks of lighter blues that are scattered here and there, reminding Hunk vaguely of the night sky when he stargazed on Earth.

Keith tilts his head curiously after Hunk’s too long silence, but he’s still smiling happily at the other boy. Hunk clears his throat (a mistake, ow) and takes a shaky breath before speaking, “This is certainly a look for you man, I don’t know why you don’t dress like this more often.” He grins cheekily at Keith, who huffs and chooses to ignore him, instead turning to his tablet and clicking it on, scrolling through a list of movies for a minute (somehow downloaded from Earth by Pidge bless her soul), then tapping on one specific title before softly pocking Hunk in the feverish side to get him to scoot over. 

Hunk obliges and weakly wriggles over to the other side of his small bed and waits patiently for Keith to plop himself into the now available spot. Keith bends his knees up as a makeshift back rest for the tablet while he settles back into Hunk’s amalgamation of pillows, tucking his feet into the blankets. 

There’s not enough space in his bed for them to fit comfortably without some part of their bodies touching, but Hunk doesn’t worry too much since he still has about seven layers of blankets still trapping him in, only his head and shoulders are free of their binds. His shoulder is actually being leaned on currently with Keith tipping his head to it rests lightly against his muscled arm, his soft hair tickling Hunk’s jaw when he shifts and he lets out a hum before stilling and training his eyes onto the flashing screen where something Hunk isn’t paying attention to is happening. 

Throughout the film they both seem to scoot closer and closer without noticing, Keith’s head now comfortably sitting under Hunk’s chin, whose nose is buried in his hair as his eyes flutter against the insistent tug of sleep. Keith’s already snoring away, arm thrown over Hunk’s round belly and a leg thrown over his thigh (the tablet had toppled over about forty minutes ago and Hunk was too drowsy and sore to be bothered to pick it up) over the blankets, his sleep heavy breaths warm where he’s tucked against Hunk’s throat.

Hunk’s own arm is reached up so his hand loosely grips the silky ruby sleeve covering the arm over his body, his other hand having loosely tangled with Keith’s at some point, whose fingers twitch and squeeze in his sleep. His cheek smooshed into the top of Keith’s head when he turns it in able to breath clearly through his blocked nose, content despite his still sore throat and lightly throbbing brain, Hunk gives up the albeit weak fight against slumber and tightens his grip on Keith’s hand quickly before finally drifting into happy sleep.

When he wakes up the next day, his throat feels smoother, his head clearer and his fever seems to have broken so, in Hunk’s book, today is a good day. He looks down to see that at some point in the night he and Keith had managed to kick all one hundred of his now gross blankets to the floor in a huge pile, now allowing for their legs to fit together like odd puzzle pieces. Hunk’s day only gets better when he feels the warm weight of Keith’s chest shift closer to his side in sleep and an unintelligible murmur leaves his puckered lips where they’ve been squished against Hunk’s chest where it’s resting. 

Hunk smiles and snuggles back in. It’s too early to be awake anyway.


End file.
